AN INMATE who died after falling and hitting his head in the yard at Cessnock Correctional Centre had a history of suddenly losing consciousness and had suffered a brain injury five months earlier when he slipped and fell in a bathroom.
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But the underlying cause of the episodes, which were under investigation at the time of his death, still remain unknown, a coronial inquest has heard.
Rodney James Bates, 55, died in John Hunter Hospital on April 13, 2015, 11 days after he fell and hit his head while walking through the yard area at Cessnock Correctional Centre.
Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame outlined the events leading up to Mr Bates’s death in her findings, which were published this week, after the two-day inquest heard evidence in July and Monday this week.
“[Mr Bates] appeared to suffer a seizure of some kind and fell backwards onto the concrete, striking the back of his head heavily as he landed on the ground,” Ms Grahame said.
“One inmate who saw Rodney just before he fell said Rodney “went very stiff as if he had a heart attack”.”
Inmates came to his aid, placed him in the recovery position and an ambulance was called, which took Mr Bates to John Hunter Hospital.
However, on the way to hospital Mr Bates suffered another seizure.
He underwent emergency brain surgery and was later admitted to the intensive care unit in an induced coma.
He did not recover and was pronounced dead on April 13.
An autopsy found he had died from the effects of blunt force injury to the head, which was consistent with a fall backwards from a standing height.
Mr Bates, who was eligible for parole in December, 2015, had a history of losing consciousness, which dated back to 2009, and had suffered falls in December, 2014 and February, 2015, the inquest found.
On December 21, 2014, while in custody, Mr Bates slipped and fell in a bathroom, suffering cerebral contusions, a small subdural haematoma and a skull fracture.
He was seen by a neurologist to investigate the possibility of seizure activity, but the specialist found there was no firm evidence of epilepsy.
Ms Grahame determined the cause and manner of Mr Bates’s death and offered her condolences to his family and friends.
“The cause of Rodney’s episodes of loss of consciousness was still unknown and under investigation at the time of his death,” she said.
“It was not a clearly diagnosed case of epilepsy. “It was unpredictable and long standing.
“There is nothing to suggest that Justice Health or Corrective Services provided less than appropriate care for Rodney.
“He was placed in a cell with another prisoner.
“He was provided timely emergency admission to hospital when required and appears to have been provided adequate follow-up.”
Ms Grahame found Mr Bates died from traumatic brain injury caused by blunt force trauma to the head as a result of the fall.
She found it was likely the fall was caused by a sudden loss of consciousness.
“The exact cause of the underlying episodes of loss of consciousness remains unknown,” Ms Grahame said.
